BACKYARD CHARD: JW Iron Chefs prepare to cut fresh chard for inclusion in their kugel dishes.
INTO THE OVEN: After students combine cooked noodles with sour cream and produce from JW edible gardens and from McCaffrey’s Supermarkets, the mixture is baked until golden brown on top.
GARDEN BOUNTY: Iron Chefs harvested Swiss chard, tomatoes, bell peppers and herbs for their risotto from the JW edible gardens.
SAFETY FIRST: Chef Jen Carson instructs on the proper way to use a chef’s knife for chopping an onion.
START WITH FRESH: Swiss chard, onions, garlic and a corn from our new partner, McCaffrey’s Supermarkets.
A LA MINUTE: Students learned that a properly made risotto requires attention, start to finish. First, saute and season the onion and heat the broth. Then add the arborio rice to the onion, and then add hot broth, ladle by ladle, stirring until each is absorbed, before adding the next. At the end, add the delicate fresh produce.
Blanching the chopped stems to give them a head start on cooking.
In the pan: Cut washed chard leaves into thin ribbons. Saute 1-2 peeled and crushed garlic cloves in olive oil until lightly golden. Add chard, salt and more olive oil if needed. When well wilted and fragrant, remove from heat and garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Ready to eat: Two fat bunches of chard cost about $10 at McCaffrey’s on Sept. 14. A family of four can have generous portions of Swiss chard for two meals – that’s about $1.25 a serving. Chard, a relative to beets, spinach and quinoa, is a superfood – rich in antioxidants and helpful in regulating blood sugar.
